The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-05-25

were hung about the streets to grace
the wedding, which was solemnized
with unheard-of splendor
And for a year and day the king
and his young queen lived in happiest
concord. The king never thought about
apple fritters and the queen appeared
to have forgotten about the kettle-drum.
One day, however, the king, rising
early, got out of bed with the wrong
leg, and things took to going wrong in
consequence.
1t was pouring wet day to begin with,
and when the king looked out of the
window his crown dropped, and was
brought back to him with great dent
in it; presently the court painter arrived
with the new map of the kingdom, and
when the king examined it he found
the frontiers had been colored red in
stead of blue, as he had ordered; and,
finally, the queen sent word she had a
headache.
And thus it happened that the royal
couple fell out for the first time, for
what reason they could not tell them
selves, or if they could they would not.
But for a fact the king was grumby
and the queen touchy insisting on
having the last word whenever he spoke,
till their chickering's grew almost hope
less, and she said, with curl of her
lip:
" Now think you might hold your
peace instead of finding fault with
everything all day long, you who can
not even beat the kettle-drump'
But the words had scarcely escaped
her when her royal spouse retorted,
angrily: "And you who do not even
know how to make apple frittersl"
Then the queen for the first time
had not an answer back. They were
both silent and retired to their re-
! spective rooms. The queen in her own
boudoir sat down sobbing and saying to
herself "What a foolish wife you
have proved yourself this day! Why,
| could not have been more stupid if l
had tried, l who have always prided
myself on my good sense, and to give
such an answer"
But the king was pacing his own
floor, rubbing his hands quite delight
edly and saying, over and over again:
" How fortunate that have got wife
who cannot make apple fritters; how
else could | have met her taunt about
my not knowing how to beat kettle
drum?''
In fact he grew perfectly happy with
this thought, and presently fell to
whistling quite cheerily, till his eyes
caught the queens portrait above his
writing table, and he got upon chair
to wipe away a SPIDERS thread which
fiuttered across her pretty eyes, and
after awhile he said:
Poor little wife, l dare say she
was really very unhappy. I'll 60 and
see what she is about"
And Herewith he walked from his
room into the great corridor connecting
all the apartments. But because every
thing went wrong that day the house
maid had forgotten to set candles about
the place, although it was evening by
this time and really pitch dark.
So he CROPPED his way, carefully put
ting out his hands before him, as a wise
king ought to do, when suddenly he felt
something warm and clinging. 'Hallol
what is this?" he cried.
"Only me-" responded the queen.
And what did you want, my dear?"
. l was coming to you to beg your
pardon, because | am sure | must have
hurt YOU" said she, humbly.
ooh no." said the king, and caught
her to his heart. Why, / ought to
ask yours. 1t was really my fault, and
l hope you have forgiven me. But do
you know, l will make a law now that
two words shall never be heard again in
this kingdom kettle-drum and"-
"And apple fritters,'" said she,
laughing and crying in his arms, and
Herewith the tale is at an end.-Hone
JOundl.